India may have, for the first time, started keeping a limited number of nuclear warheads mounted on missiles even during peacetime, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The development has sparked fresh questions about what has changed in India’s security environment and why New Delhi may be moving away from its traditional practice of keeping warheads and delivery systems separated during normal conditions. In its SIPRI Yearbook 2026 released on Monday, the Sweden-based think tank said both India and China appear to have adopted a limited peacetime deployment posture. The report estimated that India currently possesses 190 nuclear warheads, compared with Pakistan’s 170 and China’s 620. SIPRI’s data suggests that India has deployed 12 nuclear warheads on missiles during peacetime.
Changing security calculations after regional tensions
The report indicates that India’s nuclear strategy is increasingly being shaped by developments involving both China and Pakistan. SIPRI said India’s ongoing nuclear modernisation programme is now placing greater emphasis on longer-range missile systems capable of reaching targets across China, while still maintaining focus on its long-standing strategic rivalry with Pakistan.
The findings come roughly a year after Operation Sindoor, the military confrontation between India and Pakistan that lasted 88 hours before ending. SIPRI noted that the outbreak of conflict between two nuclear-armed neighbours has raised new questions about traditional theories of nuclear deterrence and how countries prepare for potential crises.
While SIPRI did not directly state why India may have deployed 12 warheads during peacetime, the report suggests that changing regional threats, growing military competition and evolving deterrence requirements could be influencing strategic decisions.
Global nuclear race gathering pace
The India-related findings were part of a broader warning from SIPRI that decades of progress in reducing the role of nuclear weapons are now being reversed. According to the institute, all nine nuclear-armed states, the United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, France, North Korea and Israel, continued to modernise, expand or consolidate their nuclear arsenals during 2025.
SIPRI estimated worldwide nuclear warhead stocks at 12,187 at the start of 2026. Of these, 9,745 were held in military stockpiles and were usable for employment. About 4,012 warheads were deployed on missile and aircraft delivery systems, and the remainder were in storage.
Experts warn of growing risks worldwide
As per reports, around 2,100 to 2,200 deployed warheads were maintained on high operational alert, mainly by Russia and the United States. France and the United Kingdom also kept a limited number of warheads at similar readiness levels.
SIPRI Director Karim Haggag warned that the growing dependence on nuclear weapons could increase global dangers. “Influential voices, including some world leaders, are advocating nuclear weapons as a guarantee against attack by a hostile state. But making national defence and security strategies dependent, or more dependent, on nuclear weapons could significantly increase nuclear risks,” he said.
Haggag also cautioned that advances in weapons technology, the weakening of arms-control agreements and rising geopolitical tensions are making the global nuclear landscape increasingly dangerous.
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Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
